 If you haven"t been to Bretton Woods in a few years your next visit will come as a bit of a surprise. The mountain has burst out of its Mt Rosebrook boundaries with new terrain on West Mountain and now Mt Stickney, which has lead to a significant increase in the acreage you can enjoy. Even better, the expansion of the past few years has added some much needed difficulty to the trail mix. But Bretton Wood"s stock-in-trade, top-to-bottom beginner and intermediate trails, remain the heart of the mountain experience. Favorites like Sawyer"s Swoop, Bigger Ben, Crawford"s Blaze, and Rangview are regularly groomed and served by two high-speed quads. These long trails give you a real feel that you"ve skied the whole mountain; at Bretton Woods beginners and intermediate skiers and riders will not feel they"ve been denied access to the best stuff. Fear not if you"re just starting out; beginners have a separate and friendly area in a pretty meadow a few steps from the Family Center. Served by the Crawford Double, it"s the perfect place to prepare for the upper mountain. With the opening of West Mountain, Bretton Woods joined the glades crowd in a big way. An even dozen plunge down the face of West Mountain to a meeting at the base of a high-speed quad (one of four at the area). In between the glades and along the edge of this area you"ll find fun and fast cruisers like Waumbek and Oscar Barron"s, the latter with a fine short headwall at the top called Little Tuckerman. On the other end the newest terrain on Mt Stickney offers similar stuff but at an even steeper pitch. This newest addition to Bretton Woods melds seamlessly into the southern edge of the Mt Rosebrook system, especially into Rosebrook Canyon Glades, 30 acres of advanced tree skiing and riding. And Mt Stickney"s north-facing aspect holds the promise of extending the resort"s long spring skiing season even further. A � pipe and long terrain park are accessible by the Mt Rosebrook Double or the Bethlehem Express. Snowmaking covers 95% of the slopes and trails. There"s plenty of lodging at the area, starting with The Mount Washington Hotel, a stunning red-roofed mountain retreat in the grand old style. Other choices to stay include The Bretton Arms Country Inn, The Lodge at Bretton Woods, and The Townhomes at Bretton Woods. While it"s true that Bretton Woods isn"t near a town of any size, you"ll find a variety of activities of interest. For starters there are 100 km of groomed trails at the full-service Nordic Center. Early-season skinny skiers will be pleased to know that a 1 km loop adjacent to the alpine area is covered by snowmaking. Snowshoe fans are welcome and snowshoes may be rented. Tubing is available and there"s a maintained ice rink. Horse-drawn sleigh rides are available daily throughout the winter. Rides leave from The Bretton Arms Country Inn and you have a choice of a family-sized sleigh or a romantic one-horse open sleigh for couples. The more adventurous in your party need only look at Bretton Wood"s spectacular view of Mount Washington and the Presidential Range to realize the backcountry possibilities. And there are miles of well-established snowmobile trails that lace the area. The Top O" The Quad Restaurant is a quiet, civilized alternative to the base lodge lunch scene, and dining there means you eliminate that cold post-lunch chairlift ride.
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Ski Report
New Hampshire
